if the sky comes falling down, for you [ OPEN ]

[cryptologic]

Who: Dipper & YOU
When: IC 3/21
Where: ALIEN JUNGLE
What: Dipper realizes Mabel has disappeared. He takes it Poorly.
Rating/Warning: None besides SADNESS.


[ one of the first things dipper had done with mabel in the jungle was set up precautions in case one of them ever got lost. tree markings. home base. bird calls. generally, not wandering too far away from each other and telling the other where they were going. after all, they were practical enough to not want to get lost in an alien jungle, even if it was an alien jungle. dipper tempered his curiosity to explore too much, because he didn't want to leave mabel alone for too long. lest she try to befriend one of those tall, colorful birds, or something.

his measures had all worked well enough, and by the time they've been in the jungle for almost a week, dipper started to think of himself as a survivalist. he had a plan, and it was working. everything was good.

until it wasn't.

dipper had left mabel at their base camp, going off to find more edible plants and sure, maybe jot down some notes about the fauna around here in his journal. he wouldn't be gone long. a half-hour, maybe. but ever the investigator, his excursion ends up taking him longer than planned, and by the time he gets back to the camp, mabel is gone.

at first, he didn't really think that much of it, even if she hadn't mentioned she was planning to go anywhere. she probably just got distracted, or one of her friends had come along. she'd promised to mark the trees at his request, too, and no markings did he see - but she'd probably just forgotten. he didn't need to panic. he shouldn't worry.

except that ever-present kernel of doubt in his mind doesn't make that so easy. he can't just sit idly by while his sister is unaccounted for in a dangerous, wild jungle. so he starts to look for her, initially at a brisk pace, but as soon as it becomes clear that she's not nearby their camp, he starts to run. ]

Mabel? Mabel! Where are you?

[ he calls out her name as he runs, panic-fueled adrenaline sending him sprinting (though it's hard to breathe) throughout other camps, the abandoned village, along the river...pretty much everywhere. because until he's found her, no place can be ruled out.

unless, unless...

he will stop to implore anyone he comes across for help. ]

Have you seen my sister? Mabel? Oh no - She's wearing a sweater, and a ribbon in her hair - please, I have to find her.

[ please, please, please, don't let her be -

- why didn't he keep her safe, this is all his fault -

he has to find her. ]

Comments

[niceguypose]

[Rock Lee pops out of the nearest bushes, tears already streaming down his face.]

Mabel-chan?!

Dipper-kun!! Please tell me! Wh-what has happened?!

[cryptologic]

[ as distraught as he is, dipper barely even notices that tears are already on lee's face. he doesn't even mind that it's him - their last meeting is far distant from his mind just now. ]

It's Mabel! I can't - I can't find her anywhere! Have you seen her?

[ please, please say you've seen her. ]

[niceguypose]

[His eyes explode with more tears.]

N-no! I... I have not!! Dipper-kun, we must find her!

[cryptologic]

[ his heart sinks to the bottom of his stomach at that answer, but at least...at least he's willing to help him look. he doesn't have to do this on his own.

and lee is right. they must find her. ]

I-I haven't checked around the village yet. [ he sucks in a steadying breath, but it doesn't help much. ] Maybe - maybe she's there.

[niceguypose]

Let's go!! [Lee acts almost immediately, stooping over to scoop Dipper up onto his shoulders, ready to immediately begin piggyback-racing towards the village.]

[zerotohiro]

[When Dipper runs, Hiro winds up popping his head out from the tree he'd hoisted himself up into to scout (or hide, whichever.) He can hear him yelling for his sister and he watches from his aerial perch, frown growing deeper and deeper the longer he listens to the panic seeping into Dipper's voice.

Not this. Not now. He's just about had it with this stupid jungle taking people away and given his own experience a day or two prior...well. Needless to say he's pretty pissed. Biting back a frustrated noise he disappears into the tree again to scramble down the branches, dropping down in front of Dipper to make him stop running. He probably looks a little worse for the wear than the last time Dipper saw him and he's complete minus Baymax now. However, he doesn't think twice about his hands moving to grip Dipper by the shoulders to hold him in place, staring down at him with narrowed eyes from behind the visor of his helmet.]

What happened? [His voice is oddly serious and it's not even a question of "what's wrong." It's obvious what's wrong, but he needs facts. He needs to understand what happened between points A and B before they could start looking for an answer.]

[cryptologic]

[ surprise overwhelms dipper's panic for a moment when hiro drops out of a tree in front of him. he skids to a halt, breathing hard and searching the other boy's face for some kind of answer. how long had he been in that tree? if he had the vantage point, maybe he had seen mabel go by!

but hiro doesn't offer that immediate answer dipper is looking for, and dipper has to take a moment to breathe against thin air and a renewed wave of panic.

but he pushes out the words as soon as he can. he has to keep looking. ] Mabel, she - [ she's gone, but he can't say that, can't let himself think it, keep breathing ] - I left her at our camp, and - and when I came back, she -

I can't find her. [ he swallows against a dry throat. ] I can't find her anywhere!

[zerotohiro]

[....yeah okay, screw this jungle sideways. He's going to have to have a long talk with Caeli and the Bridge if he finds them but right now his focus is on getting Dipper to calm down a little to talk to him and finding Mabel. People can't just disappear...unless...

...he doesn't want to think about the possibilities. There are no possibilities except that Mabel's hiding somewhere safe. That's all he wants to believe right now.]

How long were you gone? And how far back is your camp? [He's already bumping Dipper on the shoulder to tell him to keep moving so they can search as they walk. He had the vantage point in the trees, but he hasn't seen her go by. He's already preparing himself for the possibility of climbing back up.] This jungle's huge, Dipper, she can't be too far. We're going to find her, but I need you to tell me everything you can. Is Mabel the type to wander off on her own?

[cryptologic]

[ he knows he's getting hysterical, and it isn't going to help anything to stay that way, but it's not so easy to calm down, either. he leans forward, hands on his knees, trying to clear his thoughts.

mabel needs him. he can't just freak out like this. so he picks himself up and starts moving again, set into motion by hiro's urging, andvhe starts to answer his questions, one by one. ]

An hour, maybe. Our camp is - ten minutes away. [ the last one takes him longer to answer, partly because he's trying to assess it, but also because he's trying to let hiro's words of reassurance sink in. she can't be too far. ] She can be, but - she wouldn't have this time. At least, I-I don't think so. [ mabel was distractable, but she also understood the situation they were in. given how much longer she'd been her than him, she probably understood it much better than he did. she wouldn't have just left. ]

Sorry about spamming you

[cresthopes]

[While Takeru was trying to help as many people as he could, he found himself staring straight at Dipper with big eyes! He didn't need to be told twice that something was obviously wrong. As he listened to what he had to say to someone, Takeru just had to walk straight up to him]

Dipper-san? What's wrong? Is everything okay?

[He was pretty sure he hadn't seen a person named Mabel around but then again, when so many people scattered around, he could be wrong.]

DON'T BE SORRY gathers you up

[cryptologic]

[ another dead end. another person who hadn't seen mabel, who didn't even know her. how could they not know her? mabel knows everyone. mabel - mabel.

perpetually breathless, he turns to the younger boy with a small glimmer of hope. another face is another person to ask if they've seen his sister. another person who might have answers. he can't give up. he won't. ]

It's my sister, she's - she's missing. [ all his words come out in a rush. ] Have you seen her? She looks like me, wearing a pink sweater, hair ribbon -

[ he's so desperate to have one, just one person tell him they've seen her recently. ]

[cresthopes]

[As hard as Takeru might to remember if he had seen anyone quite like him, he really can't. The closest maybe was Ene but even then, she had blue hair and everything! He really wanted to say that he had seen her but he really can't. So instead?]

No, I don't think so but I'll help you find her! I don't think she could have gotten pretty fair and especially when there are so many people around here!

And Patamon can fly so that meaks it even easier to find her! I think we'll have this done in no time!

[If he didn't see her, then he'll find her! Great plan right? Riigghhttt?]

[cryptologic]

[ his heart plummets at the news that takeru hasn't seen her, but he holds onto the offer of help like a life preserver. even if he's just a kid, two pairs of eyes were better than one - and there were three, counting patamon, who had the advantage of flying.

he can't give up yet. ]

O-okay. Let's keep looking. [ he swallows. ] I-I haven't been over by the river yet. Let's go!

[braavado]

[The first time Dipper leaves camp to scavenge for food, Korra doesn't think much of it. They've gathered together before, after all, and she knows he can recognize the edible fruits and plants on his own by now.

The second time, though, something is visibly wrong, even from a distance. Korra drops some of the nuts she was shelling and follows him. She catches up to him easily despite his sprint, just in time to hear him call out for someone.]

Dipper, wait up! [She puts a hand on his shoulder.] I'll go with you. Who're you looking for?

[cryptologic]

[ he glances up at her, panic-stricken and already at a loss for breath. no, no, no, mabel - this can't be happening. ]

Korra! It's - it's my sister, Mabel - s-she was at camp when I left earlier, and now I can't find her anywhere! What if she's - she could be -

[ any number of terrible possibilities, each worse than the last. ]

[braavado]

[She cuts in almost immediately, not wanting to give Dipper time to panic some more.]

Don't worry, if she's around here, we'll find her.

[Without thinking about it, Korra reaches for the CereVice in her pocket. Once it's in her hand does she belatedly remember it's already out of batteries.]

If this stupid thing still worked, this would be so much easier. Alright, let's just start searching around here.

[cryptologic]

[ that's one of the worst things about this - that without the cerevices working, dipper has no way to contact mabel. no walkie talkies, no cups attached by a string. nothing. his only way to get in touch with her is to find her, and if he can't do that...

no. he can't think like that. ]

I-I wasn't gone that much longer than I said I would. She can't have gone too far. [ he says this as much for his own benefit as korra's. ] But she might have come looking for me.

[ this is his fault. he left camp for too long, and mabel probably got worried... ]

[covenantal]

Dipper?

[ Whoa, whoa, slow down. Yu will place both hands on Dipper's shoulders, placatingly, bending one knee as he looks down into Dipper's face. Mabel... the sister he'd mentioned when they met. If she's missing... well. Yu can understand that kind of mortal terror. ]

I haven't. We'll look together, alright? [ He keeps calm. Never patronizing; just calm, trying to be a steadying foundation when Dipper seems to need one. ]

[cryptologic]

[ he can't help the overwhelming wave of disappointment at yu's answer that pushes his heart into his stomach. he's asked so many people. he's so tired he can barely think straight any more. he can barely breathe.

no one has seen her. no one knows where she is.

still, an offer of help is one he can't refuse. not until he finds her, or discovers an answer that confirms his worst fears.

he takes a steadying, gulping breath. ] O-okay. I-I haven't been - by the river yet. She might be there.

[ she might not be. ]

[covenantal]

[ Yu straightens up and nods. He can read between the lines of those words, and also hear the tiredness in them. He'll encourage dipper along with a nod and also light fingertips between his shoulder blades, gently protective. ]

How long have you been looking?

[cryptologic]

[ what a good question. it felt like only five minutes had passed since he discovered her gone, but his weariness told him it must've been much longer than that. ]

Maybe...and hour? I-I'm not sure.

[lovemguns]

[ He came across Butch while he was squinting up at the trees, considering if he should climb them and see if he could spot anyone from them.

But the boy has his full attention right away. ]

Miss Mabel? I ain't seen her in a while, I'm 'fraid.

[cryptologic]

[ dipper peers up at the unfamiliar face, panic slipping into disappointment yet again as he tells him he hasn't seen her.

but - but at least he knows her, it sounds like. that's something. something dipper can make use of. he has to. ]

Do - do you remember when you saw her last? Was it today at all? [ if she had visited somewhere earlier, maybe she went back there for some reason. he'll take any lead he can get, honestly. ]

[lovemguns]

[ He knows her since she hooked him up with Katsura on a blind date. It was a fun date, even if he had not expected to leave such a good impression on his friend.

He shakes his head. ]

No, it was some days ago, I ain't exactly sure how many. [ He... meets a lot of people every day. ] Do y'want any help lookin' for her?

[cryptologic]

[ that's too long ago to be useful to dipper. he only saw her an hour or so ago himself, and even in that amount of time he managed to lose track of her. completely. ]

Y-yeah. She's - got to be around here somewhere.